The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the control of a vehicles throttle for the purpose of reducing unwanted emissions. In particular, creating a vehicle use profile by driving a vehicle over a predetermined course while monitoring a vehicle use parameter and a throttle level, and then driving a vehicle over the course wherein the throttle level is controlled according to the profile.
Internal combustion engines burn a mixture of fuel and air in a combustion chamber. The ignition of the air/fuel mixture creates the energy to drive the engine, but also creates a wide variety of exhaust gases. Also, even the most efficient internal combustion engines fail to burn all of the available air/fuel mixture. Thus, in addition to exhaust gases, some amount of unburned fuel comprise unfortunate by-products of all internal combustion engines. Some portion of these by-products of combustion find their way into the engine causing deterioration of the engine, while the remainder of the by-products travel through the exhaust system of the vehicle, and eventually enter the atmosphere in one form or another. Compounding the problem is the fact that the natural consequence of driving a vehicle is the degeneration of the engine in terms of its ability to run efficiently. Thus, even the most fuel-efficient vehicles fully equipped with pollution reduction devices, eventually will become progressively more wasteful and inefficient over time. The effect on the environment of exhaust gases and the other by-products of internal combustion engines comprises one of the single greatest problems faced by today""s society. The prior art offers a myriad of solutions to the problems created by the by-products of combustion, however, much room for improvement still exists.
Some of the common pollutants that result from internal combustion of hydrocarbon fuels include carbon dioxide (CO2)xe2x80x94the necessary by-product of complete combustion and a prime contributor to global warming, exhaust gases like the toxin carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons (HC) that result from incomplete combustion of the air/fuel mixture. Furthermore, various unfavorable nitrogen oxides (NOx) result from the thermal fixation of nitrogen that takes place from the rapid cooling of burnt hydrocarbon fuel upon contact with the ambient atmosphere. The amount of these pollutants produced varies based on a number of factors including the type of engine involved, the age and condition of the engine, the combustion temperature, the air/fuel ratio, just to name a few. Many devices attempt to regulate and control these mechanical, environmental, and chemical processes for the purpose of reducing pollution. However, one factor that receives little attention but plays a major role in the amount of pollution generated by vehicles comprises driver behavior and technique.
For example, many commercial trucking companies evaluate their drivers based on fuel economy. In other words, even on the same routes with the same vehicles and driving conditions the average miles per gallon (xe2x80x9cmpgxe2x80x9d) can vary widely among a group of experienced drivers. Some companies in the industry even set minimum mpg requirements for their drivers. Clearly, the less fuel a driver burns the less pollutants that reach the environment. Furthermore, given the high price of fuel, efficient driving technique can result in considerable cost savings. While all modern vehicles contain pollution control devices, these devices generally do very little to correct inefficient driving habits.
In particular, all modem vehicles come with catalytic converters in the exhaust system. The converters act to convert exhaust gases like CO and HC into CO2 and H2O respectively. More advanced catalytic converts convert NO and NO2 to N2. However, since the catalytic converter acts on exhaust gases, they are useless in preventing the inefficient and wasteful burning of fuel in the first place. Cruise controls systems comprise another example of a device designed, in part, to reduce pollution and/or conserve fuel. The systems can keep an automobile at a constant speed over long periods of time despite changes in terrain. While this can result in some increased efficiencies by eliminating wasteful accelerations and de-accelerations, the systems in some cases actually promote fuel waste through an inability to anticipate changes in road conditions. For example, in hilly conditions the cruise control will slow the vehicle down the hill and then accelerate the vehicle on the upslope in an effort to maintain an even speed. If the cruise control system could look ahead, it could allow the vehicle to pickup some speed and momentum down the hill that the vehicle could then use to reduce the fuel required to travel up the next hill. In this manner, by rigidly maintaining a constant speed, cruise control systems can actually inhibit fuel economy and increase exhausted pollutants.
This ability to anticipate upcoming road conditions and adjust fuel consumption embodies one of the techniques used by more fuel-efficient drivers. Drivers learn this, and other techniques, through trial and error experience gained from highway driving. Unfortunately, many other drivers develop wasteful and inefficient driving habits through the same process. Rapid accelerations waste fuel and pass unburned fuel into the exhaust and engine causing damage to the engine and increasing harmful pollutants to the environment. Jackrabbit starts result in jackrabbit stops, which develops a cycle of poor driving that even the best of today""s modern pollution control devices cannot correct. Thus, a need exists for a method and apparatus to profile and repeatable duplicate the driving behavior and habits of fuel-efficient drivers.
An object of the present invention comprises providing a method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle according to a vehicle use profile.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, drawings, and claims.
The present invention intends to overcome the difficulties encountered heretofore. To that end, a vehicle use profile is created by driving a vehicle with a throttle-controlled engine over a predetermined course at a first period of time. A vehicle use parameter is recorded at predetermined intervals along the course along with the throttle level. At a later time, a vehicle is driven over the same predetermined course with the throttle controlled according to the vehicle use profile.